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Running Analytic Servers, Applications, and Databases


This chapter describes the various methods used to run Essbase Analytic Server and its associated applications and databases. It defines the role of the Agent, which is the central organizing subsystem for Analytic Server, and describes different methods of starting and stopping Analytic Servers, applications, and databases.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Understanding Analytic Services Executable Files

Seven main executable files contain the server and client software for Analytic Services:


Table 35: Main Analytic Services Executable Files

Executable File
Description
More Information

essbase.exe

Analytic Server Agent process

Understanding the Agent

esssvr.exe

Application process

Starting and Stopping Applications

essmsh.exe

MaxL Shell

Technical Reference

esscmd.exe

ESSCMD command-line client interface

Technical Reference

startEAS.exe

Administration Server executable

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

admincon.exe

Administration Services Console application

Essbase Administration Services Online Help



The files that start with ess are stored in the \ARBORPATH\bin directory (/ARBORPATH/bin on UNIX). adminsvr.exe is stored in ARBORPATH\eas\server\bin directory (ARBORPATH/eas/bin on UNIX), and admincon.exe is stored in ARBORPATH\eas\console\bin directory (ARBORPATH/eas/bin on UNIX). On UNIX systems, these files do not have the .exe extension.

You can launch any executable file by typing its name at the operating system command prompt. On Windows, you can also launch a program by double-clicking the file in Explorer, double-clicking a desktop icon, or entering its name in the dialog box displayed when you select Run from the Start menu.

Understanding the Agent

The Agent Process is the Analytic Server process that starts and stops all applications and acts as the traffic coordinator for the Analytic Server. Use this section to understand more about the Agent:

The agent log is called the Analytic Server log. For information on viewing the Analytic Server log, see Viewing the Analytic Server and Application Logs.

When you start Analytic Server in the foreground, the Agent becomes active in an operating system window. You should see information like the following appear in the operating system window:

Figure 218: Sample Agent Output to Operating System Window

Unlimited login system
Hyperion Essbase Analytic Server - X.X
Copyright 1991-2002 Hyperion Solutions Corporation.
US Patent Number 5,359,724
All Rights Reserved.
Serial number:  XXXXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXXX
Registered to:  admin
                hyperion
Please type the system password: ********
Startup sequence completed
Security is enabled
Logins are enabled
Essbase Default Storage type is Multidimensional
[Wed Dec 06 14:00:20 2002]Local/ESSBASE0///Info(1051051)
Hyperion Essbase Analytic Server - started
Waiting for Client Requests... 
 

In the Agent, you can enter administrative commands and monitor the behavior of Analytic Services. The Agent is accessible only from the server console on the Analytic Server computer. The server console is the primary terminal, or monitor, connected to the server computer. The server computer is the computer on which Analytic Server runs.

The Agent executable file, essbase.exe (ESSBASE on UNIX systems), is stored in the \ARBORPATH\bin directory. Launching this executable file starts Analytic Server. You can start Analytic Server in the foreground or as a background process. If you start Analytic Server in the background, the terminal becomes free for other input, and the Agent activities are not visible in the terminal. For a detailed explanation, see Starting Analytic Server as a Background Process.

Flow of Communications Events

When a user logs on to Analytic Server, these events occur:

  1. An Analytic Services client logs on, using a predefined address:

  2. The user selects an application/database combination.

  3. The Agent compares the requested application with applications currently running. If the specified application is already running, the Agent does not need to do anything. If the requested application is not already running, the Agent initiates startup, and the following events occur:

    1. The Agent assigns a dynamic port for the application server or creates a dynamic name for a named pipe.

    2. The application server returns the port number for the application to the Agent and to the client. Port number information is stored at run time in Analytic Services API.

  4. The Agent sets the application server as active with the current user and security information. When the client later sends a data request to the application server, the security information captured by the API is embedded in the request.

  5. The Agent sends the client query to the application server (ESSSVR).

  6. For every request that the client makes, the application server causes the following events to occur:

    1. Connect

    2. Send request

    3. Get response

    4. Send data

    5. Receive data

    6. Disconnect

Multithreading

essbase.exe and esssvr.exe (ESSBASE and ESSSVR on UNIX) are multithreaded applications. By default, the number of threads is based on the number of licensed ports that are purchased, as shown in Table 36. The number of ports represents the number of concurrent connections that Analytic Services supports. Analytic Services provides one reserve port for the system administrator. The system administrator uses the reserve port to log off one or more users when all other ports are in use.


Table 36: Licensed Ports and Multithreading

Number of Licensed Ports
Default Number of Threads

1-5 ports

5

6-10 ports

10

11 or more ports

20



You can set the number of threads for the Agent or Analytic Server in the essbase.cfg file. For complete details on setting the number of threads for the Agent and the server, refer to the AGENTTHREADS, AGTSVRCONNECTIONS, and SERVERTHREADS configuration settings in the Technical Reference.

Displaying of a List of Agent Commands

To display a list of all available Agent commands, press Enter in the operating system window where you started Analytic Server in the foreground. For an example of Agent output, see Figure 218.

Use the following table to understand the function of each Agent command displayed, and the MaxL, ESSCMD, or Administration Services equivalents:


Table 37: Agent Commands and MaxL, ESSCMD, or Administration Services Equivalents  

Agent Command
Function
MaxL, ESSCMD, or Administration Services Equivalent

START appname

Starts the specified application.

  • MaxL: alter system load application appname;

  • ESSCMD: LOADAPP

  • Administration Services: Right-click menu off application node in Enterprise View

STOP appname

Stops the specified application.

  • MaxL: alter system unload application appname;

  • ESSCMD: UNLOADAPP

  • Administration Services: Right-click menu off application node in Enterprise View

USERS

Displays a list of all users connected to the Analytic Server. The following information is displayed:

  • Names of all users connected to the Analytic Server

  • Total number of ports installed

  • Total number of existing connections

  • Application to which each user is connected

  • Database to which each user is connected

  • MaxL: display user;

    (lists all users and shows which users are logged on)

  • ESSCMD: LISTUSERS

    (lists all users)

  • Administration Services: N/A

PORTS

Displays the number of ports installed on the Analytic Server and the number of ports in use.

  • MaxL: display system;

    (to display available unused ports)

  • ESSCMD: N/A

  • Administration Services: Analytic Server Properties window, Statistics tab

LOGOUTUSER user

Disconnects a user from the Analytic Server and frees a port.

This command requires the Analytic Services system password.

  • MaxL: alter system logout session by user username;

  • ESSCMD: LOGOUTUSER

  • Administration Services: Sessions window

PASSWORD

Changes the system password that is required to start the Analytic Server.

This command requires the Analytic Services system password.

  • MaxL: alter user system supervisor set password password;

  • ESSCMD: SETPASSWORD

  • Administration Services: N/A

COMPACT

Enables defragmentation of the security file when the Agent is running.

Note: Analytic Services compacts the security file automatically each time the Agent is stopped.

  • MaxL alter system compact security file;

  • ESSCMD: N/A

  • Administration Services: N/A

DUMP filename

Dumps information from the Analytic Services security system to a specified file in ASCII format. If you do not supply a path with the file name, the file is saved to the bin directory, for example, \essbase\bin.

This command requires the Analytic Services system password.

N/A

VERSION

Displays the Analytic Server software version number.

  • MaxL: display system;

  • ESSCMD: GETVERSION

  • Administration Services: Analytic Server Properties window, License tab

HELP

Lists all valid Agent commands and their respective functions. Same as pressing Enter.

N/A

QUIT and EXIT

Shuts down all open applications and stops Analytic Server.

  • MaxL: alter system shutdown;

  • ESSCMD: SHUTDOWNSERVER

  • Administration Services: Right-click menu off server node in Enterprise View


Starting and Stopping

Use these sections for instructions about starting and stopping Analytic Servers, applications, and databases:

Starting and Stopping Analytic Server

You can start Analytic Server in a variety of ways. You need Supervisor permissions to start Analytic Server.

Use these sections for instructions about starting and stopping Analytic Server:

Note: For instructions about starting Analytic Server from Administration Services, see Starting Analytic Server Remotely from Administration Services Console.

Starting Analytic Server

Analytic Server can be started in the foreground using several methods.

To start Analytic Server in the foreground, use any of the following methods:


Operating System
Instructions

UNIX

Enter the following command at the operating system prompt.

ESSBASE password

Windows

Use any of the following methods:

  • Enter the following command at the operating system prompt.

    ESSBASE password

  • Select Analytic Server from the Hyperion Solutions program group on the Start menu.

  • Double-click essbase.exe, located in the bin directory, and enter the password when prompted.

  • From the Start menu, select Run, and type ESSBASE password in the Open field. password is the password to access Analytic Server.


Any of these actions start the Agent in the operating system command console. In the Agent, you can enter commands or monitor Analytic Services activities (see Understanding the Agent).

You cannot start from ESSCMD or MaxL. To start Analytic Server from Administration Services Console, see Starting Analytic Server Remotely from Administration Services Console.

Starting Analytic Server as a Background Process

Analytic Server can run as a background process on the Analytic Server computer.

System administrators might choose to run Analytic Server as a background process when working in batch mode. Running in batch mode means, for example, that the administrator can start Analytic Server, launch MaxL or ESSCMD, log on to Analytic Server, load data, run calculation scripts or reports, stop Analytic Server, and perform a backup, all from a single UNIX shell script or a Windows NT .bat file.

System administrators running Analytic Server on Windows NT or Windows 2000 might also choose to run Analytic Server as a background process in order to use Windows settings to give a performance boost to applications running in the foreground.

If you start Analytic Server in the background, these conditions apply:

To start Analytic Server in the background on UNIX, or on Windows systems utilizing a UNIX-like shell such as MKS, enter the following command at the operating system command prompt:

essbase password -b & 
 

You can start Analytic Server without using the ampersand (&) at the end of the command, but if you do not use "&," the command prompt is not returned after the Analytic Server is started.

Note: The ampersand (&) used in the above context has no effect when used on Windows, unless you are using a UNIX-like shell such as MKS. Analytic Server starts in the background, but control of the command prompt is not returned. You may need to press the Enter key twice in Windows before the command prompt returns.

On UNIX systems, to find out if Analytic Server is already running in the background, type this command at the operating system command prompt:

ps -ef | grep ESS  
 

If the Analytic Server is running in the background, it appears in the process list:

essbase password -b &  
 

For information about hiding the password from the UNIX process list, see the Essbase Analytic Services Installation Guide.

For information about how to run Analytic Server as a Windows NT Service, or to see if Analytic Server is already installed as a Windows NT Service, see the Essbase Analytic Services Installation Guide.

Changing the System Password

Using an Agent command, you can change the password that is required to start the Analytic Server.

Note: Changing the system password does not change the connection password that is established for the Analytic Services system supervisor.

To change the Analytic Server system password, perform the following tasks:

  1. Type password at the command prompt of the Agent in the server console.

  2. Type the old (current) system password.

  3. Type the new system password.

  4. Retype the new system password.

Analytic Services verifies that the system password has been updated.

For instructions on how to change passwords for users or groups, see Editing Users.

Stopping Analytic Server

You need Supervisor permissions to stop Analytic Server.

To stop (also "shut down") Analytic Server and all running applications, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Agent

quit
exit

Enter the command at the command prompt for the Agent in the Analytic Server console window

Administration Services

Stopping Analytic Server

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter system shutdown

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

SHUTDOWNSERVER

Technical Reference



If you stop the Agent by closing the server console window or by pressing Ctrl + C, the next time you start the database, Analytic Services rolls back any transactions that were in progress. See Rollback with Committed Access or Rollback with Uncommitted Access for a description of the roll back process (undoing all transactions after the last committed transaction).

Starting Analytic Server Remotely from Administration Services Console

You can start Analytic Server remotely from the Enterprise View tree in Administration Services Console. To enable this functionality, you configure and start Remote Start Server on the Analytic Server machine. Remote Start Server then handles requests from Administration Services to start Analytic Server.

Each Analytic Server installation includes all files necessary to configure and start Remote Start Server. If you want to start different Analytic Servers from Administration Services Console, you must configure and start a Remote Start Server instance for each Analytic Server.

To start Analytic Servers from previous releases, you must first download Remote Start Server from Hyperion Developer Network and install it on each Analytic Server machine.

Use the following topics for instructions about starting Analytic Server remotely:

Configuring Remote Start Server

Before starting Remote Start Server, you need to configure it if any of the following conditions apply:

If none of the conditions apply, you are ready to start Remote Start Server. Skip to Starting and Stopping Remote Start Server.

A configuration file for Remote Start Server is installed with Analytic Server. The following topics describe the configuration file and tell you how to modify the file for different purposes:

About the Configuration File

Each Analytic Server installation contains a configuration file that you can use to configure Remote Start Server. The configuration file is:

ARBORPATH\bin\server.properties 
 

The default configuration file contains the following lines:

Server1=localhost 
 localhostExecutable=PathToEssbase.exe 
 

Where PathToEssbase.exe is the location of the Analytic Server executable file.

Keep in mind the following information when editing the configuration file:

Specifying a Non-default Analytic Server Port

If Analytic Server is configured to run on a non-default port, in the Remote Start Server configuration file, you must specify the port number being used for Analytic Server.

If you are using a non-default port because you are using more than one instance of Analytic Server on a single machine, see Configuring Remote Start Server for Multiple Instances of Analytic Server.

To specify a non-default Analytic Server port:

  1. From the Analytic Server machine, open the following file:
    ARBORPATH\bin\server.properties
    

  2. Change the following lines, supplying the appropriate information for the italicized text:
    Server1=localhost 
    localhostExecutable=PathToEssbase.exe 

    to

    Server1=MachineName:PortNumber Server1Executable=PathToEssbase.exe

    As an example for Windows:

    Server1=jdoe2:4050 Server1Executable=c:\\hyperion\\essbase\\bin\\essbase.exe

Setting Environment Variables for Startup

If environment variables need to be set when Analytic Server is started remotely, you need to add environment information to the Remote Start Server configuration file:

To set environment variables for startup:

  1. From the Analytic Server machine, open the following file:
    ARBORPATH\bin\server.properties
    

  2. Add lines for each environment variable you need to specify, using the format described in About the Configuration File. The number of environment rows that need to be set depends on your platform.

The following sections show examples of how to set environment variables for different UNIX platforms, using the default Analytic Server port and an English ESSLANG value).

Solaris Example:
Server1=localhost
localhostEnvRows=4
localhostEnv1=ARBORPATH=/vol1/essbase 
localhostEnv2=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/vol1/common/ODBC/Merant/
    4.2/lib:/vol1/essbase/bin;$LD_LIBARY_PATH
localhostEnv3=ESS_JVM_OPTION1=-Xusealtsigs
localhostEnv4=ESSLANG=English_UnitedStates.Latin1@Binary
localhostExecutable=/vol1/essbase/bin/ESSBASE 
 
AIX Example:
Server1=localhost
localhostEnvRows=3
localhostEnv1=ARBORPATH=/vol1/essbase 
localhostEnv2=LIBPATH=/vol1/common/ODBC/Merant/
    4.2/lib:/vol1/essbase/bin;$LIBPATH
localhostEnv3=ESSLANG=English_UnitedStates.Latin1@Binary
localhostExecutable=/vol1/essbase/bin/ESSBASE 
 
HP-UX Example
Server1=localhost
localhostEnvRows=3
localhostEnv1=ARBORPATH=/vol1/essbase 
localhostEnv2=SHLIB_PATH=/vol1/common/ODBC/Merant/
    4.2/lib:/vol1/essbase/bin;$SHLIB_PATH
localhostEnv3=ESSLANG=English_UnitedStates.Latin1@Binary
localhostExecutable=/vol1/essbase/bin/ESSBASE 
 

Specifying a Non-default Remote Start Server Port

By default, the Remote Start Server is configured to run on port 9010. If this port is being used by another program, you must specify a different port number before you start Remote Start Server. The port number must be specified in the Remote Start Server configuration file on the Analytic Server machine and in a configuration file on the Administration Server machine.

To specify a non-default Remote Start Server port:

  1. From the Analytic Server machine, open the following file:
    ARBORPATH\bin\server.properties

  2. Add the following line, supplying the appropriate information for the italicized text:
    ServerPort=PortNumber 

    For example:

    ServerPort=9030

  3. From the Administration Server machine, open the following file:
    EASPATH\eas\server\olapadmin.properties 

  4. Add one of the following lines:

Configuring Remote Start Server for Multiple Instances of Analytic Server

If more than one instance of Analytic Server is installed on one machine, you need to configure and start Remote Start Server for only one of the installations. Choose one of the Analytic Server installations, and add configuration information for both Analytic Server instances to the configuration file that is installed with that instance.

Note: For information about installing multiple Analytic Server agents, see Installing Additional Instances of Analytic Server: Windows or Installing Additional Instances of Analytic Server: UNIX.

To configure Remote Start Server for multiple instances of Analytic Server on one machine:

  1. Select one of the Analytic Server installations, and open the following file from the directory structure under that installation:
    ARBORPATH\bin\server.properties

  2. Add the following lines to the file, supplying the appropriate information for the italicized text:
    Server2=MachineName:PortNumber 
    Server2EnvRows=1 
    Server2Env1=ARBORPATH=ARBORPATHvalue 
    Server2Executable=PathToEssbase.exe 

    As an example on Windows:

    Server2=jdoe2:4050 Server2EnvRows=1 Server2Env1=ARBORPATH=c:\\hyperion\\essbase Server2Executable=c:\\hyperion\\essbase2\\ bin\\essbase.exe

    Note that ARBORPATH must be set explicitly for the second server instance. Also, for UNIX platforms, if the environment is not already set for either Analytic Server instance, you need to specify environment variable information in the Remote Start Server configuration file. For information about the environment variables that are required for each UNIX platform, see Essbase Analytic Services Installation Guide.

Windows Example

The following example for Windows shows the default configuration for localhost and the additional configuration needed for a second instance of Analytic Server (jdoe2), which runs on port 4050.

Server1=localhost 
 localhostExecutable=c:\\hyperion\\essbase\\ 
     bin\\essbase.exe 
  
 Server2=jdoe2:4050 
 Server2EnvRows=1  
 Server2Env1=ARBORPATH=c:\\hyperion\\essbase2  
 Server2Executable=c:\\hyperion\\essbase2\\ 
     bin\\essbase.exe 
 
UNIX Example (Solaris)

The following example for Solaris shows the configuration for localhost and for the second instance of Analytic Server (jdoe2), which runs on port 4050. In this example, the environment is set for both Analytic Server instances.

Server1=localhost
localhostEnvRows=4
localhostEnv1=ARBORPATH=/vol1/essbase
localhostEnv2=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/vol1/common/ODBC/Merant/
    4.2/lib:/vol1/essbase/bin;$LD_LIBARY_PATH
localhostEnv3=ESS_JVM_OPTION1=-Xusealtsigs
localhostEnv4=ESSLANG=English_UnitedStates.Latin1@Binary
localhostExecutable=/vol1/essbase/bin/ESSBASE

Server2=jdoe2:4050
Server2EnvRows=4
Server2Env1=ARBORPATH=/vol2/essbase2
Server2Env2=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/vol2/common/ODBC/Merant/
    4.2/lib:/vol2/essbase2/bin:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
Server2Env3=ESS_JVM_OPTION1=-Xusealtsigs
Server2Env4=ESSLANG=English_UnitedStates.Latin1@Binary
Server2Executable=/vol2/essbase2/bin/ESSBASE 
 

Sample Configuration File

The following sample configuration file for Windows sets the Analytic Server port to 4050; sets the ARBORPATH environment variable; and sets the Remote Start Server port to 9030:

Server1=jdoe2:4050
Server1EnvRows=1
Server1Env1=ARBORPATH=c:\\hyperion\\essbase
Server1Executable=c:\\hyperion\\essbase\\bin\\essbase.exe
ServerPort=9030 
 

Starting and Stopping Remote Start Server

When you are sure that Remote Start Server is properly configured, you can start and stop it as needed. After Remote Start Server is started, you can start Analytic Server.

Note: On UNIX platforms, Remote Start Server can start an Analytic Server only if the Analytic Server is installed by the same user ID that was used to start Remote Start Server. If Remote Start Server is started by the root user, then Remote Start Server can start an Analytic Server that was installed by any user.

To start Remote Start Server:

To stop Remote Start Server:

Running Remote Start Server as a Windows Service

You can install and start Remote Start Server as a Windows service.

To install and start Remote Start Server as a Windows Service, launch

ARBORPATH\bin\install_service.bat 
 

This file installs Remote Start Server as a Windows service (named "Essbase Remote Start Server") and starts the service. You can then manage the service by using Windows Control Panel or by using the net start and net stop commands.

To remove the "Essbase Remote Start Server" Windows Service, launch

ARBORPATH\bin\remove_service.bat 
 

Starting Analytic Server from Enterprise View

After Remote Start Server is started, you can start Analytic Server from Enterprise View in Administration Services Console:

To start Analytic Server:

  1. From Enterprise View, select the Analytic Server node that you want to start.

  2. Right-click and select Start from the pop-up menu.

  3. When prompted, enter the password for Analytic Server.

    The request is sent to Remote Start Server, which then starts Analytic Server. If Remote Start Server is not running, an error message is displayed in Administration Services Console.

Note: Analytic Server starts in the background on all platforms, with the password hidden.

Starting and Stopping Administration Services

Before you start Administration Services, make sure that the Analytic Servers you want to manage are started.

To start Administration Services, first start Administration Server, and then start Administration Services Console.

To start Administration Services, see "Starting Administration Services" in Essbase Administration Services Installation Guide.

Starting and Stopping Applications

When an application is started, Analytic Services loads the application and all associated databases into memory on the Analytic Server. All client requests for data, such as data loads, calculations, reports, and spreadsheet lock and sends, are then handled through the application server, the ESSSVR process. The application server is always started by the Agent.

Multiple applications (ESSSVR processes) can run on Analytic Server concurrently. On Windows, a separate window opens for each ESSSVR process that is running. If an application contains multiple running databases, all databases are managed by the one application server.

When you stop an application, Analytic Services unloads all information and databases from memory on Analytic Server and closes the application server process.

This section contains the following sections:

Starting an Application

When you start an application, the following actions can happen:

To start an application, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Agent

START appname

Enter the command at the command prompt for the Agent in the Analytic Server console window

Administration Services

Starting Applications

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter system load application

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

LOADAPP or SELECT

Technical Reference



This action starts the application and, if you are running on Windows, opens the application server window on the Analytic Server computer.

You can also start an application by completing any of these actions:

To control how applications are started, use either of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Administration Services

Configuring Applications to Start Automatically

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter application enable autostartup

Technical Reference



When application startup (Allow user to start application) is enabled, if an application is stopped and a user attempts to retrieve data from any databases within that application, the application starts on the Analytic Server computer automatically.

When application autostartup (Start application when Analytic Services starts) is enabled, users may experience better initial performance when they make requests of databases in that application, because the application and databases are already loaded into memory on the Analytic Server computer.

Stopping an Application

When you stop an application, transactions may be currently running. If you stop an application using any of the following methods, the application does not stop if a calculation or data load is in progress. Instead, Analytic Services displays a message in the Agent console. It is important to stop an application properly. If the application server is not brought down properly, databases within the application may become corrupt.

To stop the application, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Agent

stop appname

Enter the command at the command prompt for the Agent in the Analytic Server console window

Administration Services

Stopping Applications

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter system unload application

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

UNLOADAPP

Technical Reference



If you stop the Agent by closing the server console window or by pressing Ctrl + C, the application stops, and the next time you start the application, Analytic Services rolls back any transactions that were in progress.

See Rollback with Committed Access or Rollback with Uncommitted Access for a description of the rollback process (undoing all transactions after the last committed transaction).

Stopping an Application Improperly

There are times when stopping the application server process improperly is necessary; for example, if the application server is corrupted and not processing client requests. In this case, stopping the application server by shutting down its corresponding window is the only method of the stopping the application.

To stop the application improperly, use any of the following methods:


Operating system
Instructions to stop the application improperly

Windows

Use any of the following methods:

  • Perform a Windows operating system End Task.

    The Windows NT Task Manager does not display process IDs for individual Analytic Services applications-all of the running Analytic Services applications are displayed as undifferentiated ESSSVR processes. This situation prevents you from stopping a single application, in the event that the application freezes.

  • Click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the application server window.

  • Kill the process ID by using the process ID number in conjunction with a kill operating system utility. Such a utility is provided with Windows NT Resource Kit and with various other toolkits.

    You can find the process ID for individual servers in the essbase.log file in the ARBORPATH directory. When the server starts, a line like the following is displayed in the Analytic Server log:

    Application [Sample] started with process id [225]

UNIX

Kill the ESSSVR process.

On UNIX platforms, you can use the ps output to identify individual applications. If an application freezes, you can stop the application by using this command:

kill -9 <pid>

Both

On any platform, shut down the Analytic Server computer prior to shutting down the Agent



Starting and Stopping Databases

Starting a database loads the database into memory on the Analytic Server computer. Stopping a database unloads all database information from memory on the Analytic Server computer.

This section contains the following sections:

Starting a Database

When Analytic Services starts a database and loads it to memory, the entire index cache for that database is allocated in memory automatically. The data cache and data file cache are allocated as blocks are requested from Analytic Services clients.

When you start an application, Analytic Services loads the application and its databases into memory on the Analytic Server computer. When you start a database from an application that is not loaded, the application is loaded along with all its related databases.

To start a database, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Agent

START appname

Enter the command at the command prompt for the Agent in the Analytic Server console window.

Administration Services

Starting Databases

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter application load database

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

LOADDB or SELECT

Technical Reference



To configure a database to start automatically when its parent application starts, use either of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Administration Services

Configuring Databases to Start Automatically

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter database enable autostartup

Technical Reference



Stopping a Database

Stopping a database unloads all data from memory and commits any updated data to disk.

If a database is stopped and a user attempts to retrieve data from it, the database starts on Analytic Server automatically, without any explicit commands issued.

When you stop a database, transactions may be currently running. If you issue the STOP command in the server console window, an UNLOADDB command in ESSCMD, or alter application unload database in MaxL, the database does not stop if a calculation or data load is in progress. Instead, Analytic Services displays a message in the server console window. If you stop the Agent by closing the server console window or by pressing Ctrl + C, the database stops, and the next time you start the database, Analytic Services rolls back any transactions that were in progress.

See Rollback with Committed Access or Rollback with Uncommitted Access for a description of the rollback process (undoing all transactions after the last committed transaction).

To stop a database, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Agent

STOP appname

Enter the command at the command prompt for the Agent in the Analytic Server console window.

Administration Services

Stopping Databases

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter application unload database

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

UNLOADDB

Technical Reference



Managing Security-File Defragmentation

Changing or deleting the following Essbase security entities can cause fragmentation in the security file (essbase.sec): filters, users, groups, applications, databases, substitution variables, disk volumes, passwords, and other Essbase objects. Too much fragmentation in files can slow down security-related performance.

Analytic Services compacts the security file automatically each time the Agent is stopped. You can check the defragmentation status of the security file and, if desired, you can compact the security file without stopping the Agent.

Displaying the Defragmentation Status of the Security File

The defragmentation status of the security file is displayed as a percent.

To display the defragmentation status of the security file, use the following method:


Tool
Topic
Location

MaxL

display system security file fragmentation_percent

Technical Reference



Compacting the Security File While the Agent is Running

Besides manually compacting the security file, you can use the SECURITYFILECOMPACTIONPERCENT configuration setting to define a percentage of defragmentation that triggers defragmentation automatically.

To compact the security file without stopping the Agent, use either of the following methods:


Tool
Method
Documentation Location

Agent

COMPACT

Enter the command at the command prompt for the Agent in the Analytic Server console window

 

MaxL

alter system compact security file

Technical Reference

essbase.cfg

SECURITYFILECOMPACTIONPERCENT

Technical Reference



Note: Compacting the security file while the Agent is running slows down Agent activity until the operation is completed, which could take a few minutes.

Managing Ports

The Agent enables you to manage ports on Analytic Server. This section contains the following sections:

Viewing a List of Users and Available Ports

The Agent enables you to view a list of all users that are connected to Analytic Server at any given time. Additionally, you can view the total number of ports available, as well as the number of existing connections.

For information about how connections/ports are established in Administration Services, see "About Analytic Services Connections and Ports" in Essbase Administration Services Online Help.

To view a list of all users connected to Analytic Server, type the command USERS at the command prompt of the Analytic Server console.

The server console displays the following information:

To view the number of ports installed on Analytic Server, as well as the number of ports in use, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Agent

PORTS

Enter the command at the command prompt for the Agent in the Analytic Server console window.

Administration Services

Checking Available Ports

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

display user

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

LISTUSERS

Technical Reference



Specifying Non-Default Port Values

If you wish to change the default port values used by the Agent, you must set one or more of these configuration settings:

You may wish to change the default for many reasons. Here are two examples:

Changing Port Default Values

If you simply need to change one or more of the default values associated with Agent and server ports, review the Technical Reference for instructions about the correct configuration setting to change:

Viewing Port Statistics

You can enable Analytic Services to log, at a specified interval, the number of ports being used. By analyzing the information in the log, you can monitor port utilization and identify a need for more ports before end users are unable to connect.

To enable Analytic Server to check port use statistics and write those statistics to the Analytic Server log:

Edit the server configuration file essbase.cfg to include the setting, PORTUSAGELOGINTERVAL:

PORTUSAGELOGINTERVAL n  
 

where the value of n represents the number of minutes between each check of the number of ports in use. The value of n can be any whole number from 1 to 60, with five being the recommended minimum and default value. Analytic Services ignores any portion of a non-whole number. For example, Analytic Services evaluates 2.5 as 2 minutes. Statistics are written to the log immediately after each check.

After adding PORTUSAGELOGINTERVAL to essbase.cfg, you need to restart Analytic Server, then view the Analytic Server log file. The log file will look similar to the following output:

[Mon Apr 22 00:48:50 2003]Local/ESSBASE0///Info(1056214)
[3] ports in use, [10] ports allowed  
 

For more information about the PORTUSAGELOGINTERVAL setting, see the Technical Reference.

Managing Administration Server Communication Ports

Administration Server has several configurable communication ports, which are different from Analytic Server ports. For more information, see About Administration Server.

Controlling Query Size and Duration

Users may unintentionally request information that is so large or so complex to retrieve that the query will slow performance or fail to complete properly. To prevent this from occurring, use the following configuration settings to control query size or duration:

These two configuration settings are also referred to as query governors.

You can apply these settings to all the applications and databases on Analytic Server, to all the databases on a single application, or to a single database.

For details about how to use these configuration settings, see the Technical Reference, in the "essbase.cfg Settings" topic.

Installing Additional Instances of Analytic Server: Windows

You can install multiple instances of Analytic Server on a single Windows computer. For example, you could install a test version and a production version.

To install and configure an additional instance of Analytic Server on a single Windows computer, perform the following tasks:

  1. On a computer where you have already installed Analytic Server according to the instructions in the Essbase Analytic Services Installation Guide, install the Analytic Server component in a different directory from the first Analytic Server installation. You need not install any of the clients, such as Administration Services.

  2. In the ARBORPATH\bin directory on the Analytic Server computer of the new installation, create or modify the essbase.cfg file on the Analytic Server so that it contains these settings:

  3. Create a batch script (.bat) that performs these tasks:

Note: This installation is a separate installation of Analytic Server. It shares none of the security or objects of any other Analytic Server installation on the same computer.

When multiple instances of Analytic Server are installed on a single machine, you can connect to an Analytic Server agent by specifying the machine name and the agent port number, in the form: machineName:agentPort.

You can also edit or create the client configuration file to identify the Analytic Server agent port to connect to. The configuration file identifies the default Analytic Server agent port. When you connect to an Analytic Server and specify the machine name only (but no agent port number), you are connected to the Analytic Server agent port specified in the configuration file. You can override the configuration file setting by using the machineName:agentPort syntax when connecting.

To connect to an Analytic Server when multiple instances of Analytic Server are installed on the same machine, perform either of the following actions:

Installing Additional Instances of Analytic Server: UNIX

To install and configure a second instance of Analytic Server on a single UNIX computer, perform these tasks:

  1. On the computer where you plan to use two instances of Analytic Server, create a new operating system login ID to run the new Analytic Server. For instructions, refer to your operating system documentation.

  2. On a computer where you have already installed Analytic Server according to the instructions in the Essbase Analytic Services Installation Guide, install the Analytic Server component in a different directory from the first Analytic Server installation. You need not install any of the clients, such as Administration Services.

  3. Assign the correct permissions so the new login ID can be used to run Analytic Server. For instructions, see the Essbase Analytic Services Installation Guide.

  4. Create the necessary path and library statements in the profile for the new login ID. You may want to copy an existing login ID profile for a login ID that runs the existing Analytic Server installation, and change the values for the new installation.

  5. Perform step 2 from "Installing Additional Instances of Analytic Server: Windows."

  6. Repeat previous step for the essbase.cfg file on the client.

  7. Start the new Analytic Server using the new login ID.

Increasing Agent Connections to Analytic Server

You can use the configuration settings AGENTTHREADS and AGTSVRCONNECTIONS to control the maximum number of threads that the Agent creates to perform the initial connection to Analytic Server.

Increasing the maximum number of possible threads between Analytic Server and the Agent allows more than one user to log on and connect to an application and database at a time.

Note: All requests for information after initial connection and before disconnection are handled by a different set of server threads, whose maximum number is controlled by the SERVERTHREADS configuration parameter.

To increase the maximum possible number of agent threads, perform these tasks:

  1. Create or edit the essbase.cfg file on Analytic Server to include these settings:

  2. Save the essbase.cfg file.

  3. Stop and restart Analytic Server to initialize the changes.

Limiting the Number of User Sessions

You can limit the maximum number of user sessions allowed to connect to Analytic Server at any one time, using the configuration parameter MAXLOGIN. This number includes multiple instances of the same user.

For example, the same user with five open Excel worksheets connected to the same Analytic Server use one port, but five sessions.

You may wish to adjust the value of MAXLOGIN to match computer resources, or to more closely manage concurrent ports and user sessions. A concurrent port is used for each unique combination of client machine, Analytic Server, and login name.

To limit the number of simultaneous user sessions using the configuration setting MAXLOGIN, create or edit the essbase.cfg file on Analytic Server to contain this setting:

MAXLOGIN maximum_number_of_user_sessions  
 

The maximum_number_of_user_sessions minimum is 1, maximum is 1048575, and the default value is 1000.

User sessions use the threads whose maximum is controlled by the configuration setting SERVERTHREADS, and are not related to the threads whose maximum is controlled by AGENTTHREADS and AGTSVRCONNECTIONS.



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